Transfer University Creates Innovation Ecosystem for Business Start-Ups

Heidelberg holds the leading position in Germany’s start-up landscape, particularly due to the university’s prominent role. While start-up hotspots like Berlin and Munich remain the strongest in absolute numbers, Heidelberg ranks first nationwide when it comes to start-ups per 100,000 inhabitants. This is shown in a report by the German Startup Association, which analyzed developments over the past year. It points to an increase in start-up formations, particularly in areas where universities and research institutions shape the local ecosystem.

“Heidelberg benefits from a dynamic knowledge and science landscape with many strong partners – the university, other research institutions, and the city itself. At the same time, numerous companies are located here, offering jobs in knowledge-based professions. In recent years, an innovation ecosystem has developed that is especially conducive to business start-ups,” emphasizes Prof. Dr Katja Patzel-Mattern, Vice-Rector for Innovation and Transfer. The German Startup Association also confirms this, noting that in such local ecosystems, “numerous new start-ups can emerge” with effective support.

Heidelberg University has been supporting its spin-offs for over twenty years. With the creation of the transfer agency hei_INNOVATION and the patent exploitation agency ScienceValue Heidelberg GmbH, these support services have been further professionalized. Employing more than 30 staff in the transfer sector, the university has established extensive advisory and support services, from teaching to the implementation of transfer projects. Key focus areas in technology transfer include start-up consulting, entrepreneurial skills modules, and support for inventors. “As a university, we see it as our mission to make scientific knowledge socially relevant. We lay the foundation for this with fundamental research that, initially free from considerations of practical utility and economic dependencies, generates innovation,” explains Katja Patzel-Mattern. 

As of 2024, at least twelve start-ups have been launched from the university, as reported by Dr Raoul Haschke, team leader at hei_INNOVATION. He notes that this is close to the 15 new start-ups formed the previous year and could even surpass that number. The primary focus of these start-ups is on medicine and artificial intelligence. The transfer agency is currently supporting several projects that are funded through initiatives like the EXIST Business Start-up Grant, the EXIST Transfer of Research program, and the “Validation of the Technological and Social Innovation Potential of Scientific Research” (VIP+) initiative. “In the future, hei_INNOVATION, as part of the NXTGN Start-Up Factory network, will continue to professionalize its support for start-ups. Additional activities within the network will ensure that the number of start-ups in Heidelberg and Baden-Württemberg continues to grow,” says Raoul Haschke.